Products and goods oftentimes are packaged in the flexible packaging, which is frequently made of plastic. The flexible packaging is used to hold food products, cement, fertilizer, fluids of all kinds, and other materials.
However, the use of flexible packaging is not without problems. Indeed, many people attempt to open the flexible packaging with their fingers, only to find that the task is very difficult, because the plastic or other material from which the flexible packaging is made has a high tensile strength. The flexible packaging may even stretch before the user gains access to the contents. Such rough handling of the flexible packaging is not desirable because the product housed inside the flexible packaging could be damaged, as is frequently the case when, for example potato chip bags are opened.
In addition, people, in an attempt to open such packaging, have been known to resort to using their teeth to create a break in the flexible packaging. This can cause dental damage. People also resort to using various objects to puncture the flexible packaging, for example a pen or pencil when there is no sharp cutting instrument handy. As a result of using such articles, the person could unintentionally jab himself or herself.
Past attempts to overcome this problem have made use of expensive materials and fabrication techniques. For example, lasers have been used in an attempt to burn the flexible packaging in order to create a way to gain access to the interior of the flexible packaging. However, lasers typically burn completely through the flexible packaging and are difficult to control. Thus, the laser undesirably causes invasive openings to be formed in the flexible packaging. In addition, lasers are dangerous, especially in a factory setting, and they are expensive to purchase and require expensive support equipment.
Thus, there is a need for a tear mechanism for flexible packaging or bags that is inexpensive. There is a need for the tear mechanism be to reproducible, such that the flexible packaging having the tear mechanism can be mass produced. Also, there is a need for the tear mechanism to be easy to manually open, so that the need for scissors and knives is eliminated. Also, the tear mechanism has to be such that it does not compromise the seal of flexible packaging containing, for example, perishable items. Additionally, there is also a need for an apparatus that can form the tear mechanism in the flexible packaging.
In addition, oftentimes in order to dispense the product housed in the bag or the flexible packaging an unattached molded tip is dropped into the flexible packaging. A tip such as this is shown in FIG. 9 which is a perspective view of a prior art tip 1000. Machines are commonly used to introduce these unattached tips into bags. As shown in FIG. 9, the tip has a generally truncated conical shape having a narrow diameter end and an opposed large diameter end, with spaced apart teeth or points being formed at the narrow diameter end that extend about the periphery of the unattached tip. After the unattached tip is introduced into the bag, its exterior surface contacts the interior surface of the bag. Cutting the flexible packaging in the vicinity of the tip allows the product to flow out of the flexible packaging. Unattached tips such as the one shown in FIG. 9 are commonly used for applying frostings in the cake decorating industry. When the frosting is extruded from the flexible packaging it is supposed to take on a visually desirable contour or pattern as it flows past the spaced apart points of the unattached tip.
However, unattached tips are problematic. The unattached tip can turn or twist while the frosting is being forced out of the bag making it impossible to obtain the desired contour decorative pattern in the frosting, resulting in the entire bag and contents thereof having to be discarded. Another problem associated with unattached tips is that is that the unattached tip can work its way out of the flexible packaging and undesirably make its way into, for example, a cake. This tip then becomes a choking hazard and can result in injuries if bitten or swallowed. In addition, such tips are relatively expensive, and thus undesirably add to costs.
Thus, there is a need for a better way to dispense product from a bag or flexible packaging.